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Actress Monica Bellucci insists that her planned move from France to Brazil has nothing to do with an upcoming tax hike which prompted actor Gerard Depardieu to

flee the European country.

Depardieu recently moved to neighbouring Belgium and accepted Russian citizenship after criticising politicians in France over plans to implement a 75 per cent tax on the country's most wealthy residents.

Bellucci, 48, has lived in Paris for many years with her French actor husband Vincent Cassel, but they recently purchased a property in Brazil, prompting fears she too has decided to move abroad to avoid the new tax rates, reported Contactmusic.

However, the Italian actress insisted they are emigrating to Brazil because they both fell in love with the country many years ago and decided to make a change.

"I fell in love with (this country) 18 years ago. All the places in the world have their problems but I love the way you react to yours - with poetry... Maybe in five years time I will return to Rome, my favourite city, but now my place is here, on the beach, watching people on the streets and feeling the energy of the sea."